Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Industrial Commission Temporarily Alters Docketing and Continuances
COLUMBUS, OH – Chairman and CEO Karen L. Gillmor announced today that the Industrial Commission of Ohio has adopted temporary changes to its administrative hearing policies, specifically those involving the docketing of claims and parties’ requests for continuances.
The changes will go into effect immediately and last only 60 days.
“In late 2011, the Industrial Commission implemented a new method to more effectively examine claims and to more efficiently prepare them for hearing. Internally, the Commission promoted and trained eleven new claims examiners to handle and process claims, which resulted in a much larger number of claims ready for hearing,” Gillmor said. “In order to move those claims through the hearing process, it is now
necessary to alter the current docketing policy and continuance guidelines.”
For 60 days, from July 11 through September 8, 2012, the Industrial Commission is temporarily modifying the Commission’s
hearing policies to include the following changes:
- The Industrial Commission will begin docketing claims without regard for the representatives’ concurrent hearing values;
- The Industrial Commission has removed conflicting Industrial Commission hearings as a justification for continuances;
- The Industrial Commission has reduced the number of full-day hearing blocks from 22 to 12 during the temporary modification period; and
- The Industrial Commission has reduced the number of half-day hearing blocks from 20 to 10 during the temporary modification period.
In addition, the Commission’s Regional Managers are conducting hearings, permanent partial disability hearings are being docketed aggressively, and the
Commission’s largest office, Columbus, began adding more hearing hours.
“We realize that these are significant changes for the Industrial Commission’s customers,” Gillmor said. “The Commission will continue to evaluate its docketing policy and continuance
guidelines so that hearings may continue to be held expeditiously.”
Click on the link below to open the official news release PDF.
Industrial Commission Temporarily Alters Docketing and Continuances
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